Darnell Carter's second chance is working out at Virginia

Norm Wood, nwood@dailypress.com | 247-4642

It was over. Darnell Carter was sure of it.

When Carter was academically suspended in 2008, he left Virginia and returned home to Englewood, N.J., almost positive he'd never get invited back to Charlottesville by former football coach Al Groh. Carter, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker, was sure he'd blown his opportunity.

Much to his surprise, he was brought back to the team last season, but playing time was almost an afterthought. Not until coach Mike London arrived at U.Va. (4-4 overall, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) did Carter start to see the dark cloud over his college career begin to lift.

"I just felt like if I was given a chance, then I could show people that I could play," Carter said.

Now, Carter is doing everything he can to squeeze as much as he can out of his final season of eligibility. He has played in all eight games this season, starting for the first time at middle linebacker in the last two wins against Eastern Michigan and Miami. He's slated to start again Saturday when U.Va. plays at Duke (2-6, 0-4).

It's a long way from where he spent the fall of '08. After returning home, he went to work as a dispatcher for a locksmith company while taking classes at a community college. He was preparing for the next stage in his life.

"I wasn't sure if coach Groh was going to be bring me back or not," said Carter, who is tied for fifth on the team in tackles this season with 32, and second with two sacks. "It went through my mind (to not try to return to Charlottesville), but I really liked it here at Virginia. I liked the players on the team. I felt like it was hard to just get up and leave people that you'd been with for about two years and that you felt connected with and then go try somewhere else."

Yet, even when he was invited back, he didn't have much of a role. He played in four games last season, getting 28 plays on special teams and just 21 on defense.

"When I first came back, I felt welcomed back to the team," Carter said. "I started out well. I think I got injured – hurt my knee or something like that – so that slowed me down a little bit. Then, I think after the third game, I pulled my hamstring or something like that. Ever since then, I guess (Groh) gave up faith in me…I just didn't play too much after that."

In December, London sat down with Carter and discussed the future. If Carter wanted to stay on scholarship, he needed to keep himself straight academically and show the coaches something in practice.

By the end of spring practice, London said each of the offensive and defensive assistant coaches listed Carter among U.Va.'s top three linebackers. London was U.Va.'s defensive coordinator in '06 and '07, which were Carter's first two seasons at U.Va.

"To tell you the truth, I don't remember a whole lot about him, because back then we had some pretty good linebackers playing at that time," London said.

"I know Darnell now to be a guy that for whatever reason…academically, he straightened himself out. He's become much more mature. He studied the game. The game means more to him, maybe than what it meant to him back then, but it means more to him now. He can play all three of the linebacker positions. He can call out formations and make the checks. I just think sometimes in college, you get to that point where the light goes on, and I think the light went on for him when he came back."

Carter's roommate is running back Keith Payne, another guy who has enjoyed a productive senior season (leading team with 552 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns) after sitting out last season and having to get his own academics in line. Carter said the partial and full-game suspensions of three starters for the Eastern Michigan game sent a firm message.

"Listen to the coach," Carter said. "If coach says go to class, go to class. I mean, he's only trying to help us out. You might learn something when you go to class, too, so you might as well go.

"I just became a starter, so I definitely wasn't going to miss class."